The city that receives the most nominations will receive a $20,000 grant to improve a local park.
OCALA, Fl. (March 29, 2018) – For the fourth year in a row, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is collaborating with The Walt Disney Company — including Disney|ABC Television Group and ESPN — to help fund local park improvement projects across the country through the national “Meet Me at the Park” Earth Month campaign. The city that receives the most nominations will receive a $20,000 grant to improve a local park.
Local parks make Ocala a better place to live and shape so many of our lives. Parks are essential to our city’s health and wellbeing. They provide safe places to be active and enjoy nature—and they help preserve the environment and bring people together. That’s why from April 1 to April 30 Ocala residents will have the opportunity to nominate our city to receive $20,000 in grant funding to make improvements at a local park.
By visiting www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark , park supporters can nominate our city. At the end of April, the city with the most nominations will receive the grant funding. Everyone who nominates a city will be entered into a drawing for a GoPro Prize Pack.
“The City of Ocala realizes the rejuvenating power parks have in restoring balance to our busy lives,” said Kathy Crile, Director, City of Ocala Recreation and Parks. “We understand that natural play areas provide kids with the best opportunities to explore and that natural resource education is best delivered outdoors. With that in mind, the funding from the Meet Me at the Park program would help the city further develop the environmental play trail at the Heritage Nature Conservancy by providing enhanced natural play areas and an outdoor classroom that can be used to provide quality programming. All you have to do is go on-line and nominate the City of Ocala to receive Meet Me at the Park funding. We’ll do the rest!”
“At NRPA we believe everyone deserves a great park. That’s why we’re proud to collaborate with The Walt Disney Company on this campaign,” said Lori Robertson, NRPA director of conservation. “Everyone is encouraged to join us in giving back to the places that shape so much of our lives by participating in this year’s campaign. A nomination for your favorite park is all it takes.”
During April, a public service announcement (PSA) supporting the Meet Me at the Park campaign will be shared with audiences across Disney, including ESPN, ABC Television Network, ABC-owned and affiliate stations, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, the ABC app and other digital platforms. The PSA will also be available to view on the voting site at www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark. Additionally, Radio Disney will support the campaign with an on-air radio spot.
This Earth Month, Ocala can show what parks mean to our community by nominating our great city. Encourage your friends to nominate our city by taking a selfie in your favorite park and using the hashtags #MeetMeAtThePark, #Parkies and #CelebrateEarth.
For more information or to nominate the City of Ocala, visit www.NRPA.org/DisneyMeetMeAtThePark.
Both promotions (defined below) begin at 12 a.m. ET on April 1, 2018 and conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET on April 30, 2018. No Purchase Necessary to participate. The NRPA Meet Me at the Park Promotion and Voter’s Sweepstakes (collectively, “promotions”) are open to legal residents of the 50 US & DC, who are 18 years of age or older. For complete details and Official Rules for both promotions, visit www.meetmeatthepark.org.
About The National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all Americans have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.NRPA.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.
